Start Garden Announces 2026 $5K Cohort — Applications Open Through June 15
West Michigan's flagship startup accelerator will fund 20 early-stage companies this fall, with a new focus track for food and agriculture startups.
Start Garden has opened applications for its fall 2026 cohort, which will award $5,000 grants to 20 early-stage companies. New this year: a dedicated Food & Agriculture track with mentorship from Meijer, Spartan Nash, and the Michigan Good Food Fund. Applications close June 15; cohort runs October through December.
Start Garden opened applications Tuesday for its fall 2026 cohort, and for the first time the Grand Rapids accelerator is adding a dedicated Food & Agriculture track alongside its traditional tech and services tracks.
The program awards non-dilutive $5,000 grants to 20 selected companies, who also receive 12 weeks of structured mentorship, access to Start Garden's network of 200+ mentors, and a desk in the Pearl Street office. The new food track brings in three anchor mentors: a supply-chain director from Meijer, the head of business development at SpartanNash, and the executive director of the Michigan Good Food Fund.
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"West Michigan is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country and Grand Rapids is becoming a serious food-innovation hub," said Start Garden director Gina Thorpe. "We've had food founders go through the general cohort for years — it's time they had dedicated infrastructure." Past cohort companies have collectively raised more than $45 million in follow-on funding.
Applications are open through June 15 at startgarden.com. The cohort runs October through December, with a public pitch event in mid-December. There is no equity requirement to apply.
